Our Trip to China and Tibet

Our Elderhostel trip to Asia was organized with the
cooperation of the Chinese American Educational Exchange. We were a group
of 32, singles and married couples from all parts of the U.S. The format was
a series of lectures at Universities followed by visits to areas relative
to our studies. The focus for study was the cultures, religions, traditions
and political aspects of the Chinese people. We were sent a reading list to
prepare us for the trip. Not a necessary requirement but helpful in understanding
the diversity of China and Tibet. We were advised about weather, health considerations,
altitude and our accommodations, which proved to be hotels from "no star"
to four star.The food, we were also advised, would be American breakfasts
and Chinese lunches and dinners. The breakfasts were good with exception of
one . Beer and wine was served at lunch and dinner. Each meal had rice, two
or three soups, and a variety of steamed vegetables and sauces. Some meals
had as many as 25 different dishes. All served on a revolving tray in the
middle of the table. Desserts were almost always watermelon. Very little sweets
or rich food. Both of us lost weight while on the trip, partly attributed
to the healthy diet. Because of the dry climate, plenty of drinking water
was a paramount ingredient and Elderhostel provided an adequate supply at
all locations and on buses Our stay consisted of 2 weeks in China and one
week in Tibet, mostly the Lhasa area. Enough said. Now on to the trip.

We knew we were on the right track when we met a traveler in the LA terminal
going into the same elevator we had targeted for the international departure
gates. She had the same distinctive blue and white Elderhostel luggage tags
. Later, she turned out to be one of our more entertaining travel companions
from San Francisco. Our trip was at last beginning after months of planning
and preparing ourselves for the unusual environment . Fifteen hours after
boarding we arrived in Hong Kong for a brief stopover before our flight for
Beijing. Total travel time from Shepherdstown was 35 hours but we were soon
to find that it was worth it. We were met at the Beijing airport by our guide
Tony, whose Chinese name is Zhang Hong Yan.

Our arrival by bus from the airport at the Hua Du Hotel was somewhat delayed
due to a piece of lost luggage left in Hong Kong. You guessed it, it was ours.
After a hasty check -in we had enough time to visit the Forbidden City where
the Emperor of China had lived. We wandered across the courtyard where the
royal family and quests played tennis as shown in the film "The Little Emperor."
This plaza preceded bridges flanked with marble ornate balustrades and continued
up the steps to the palace with its terra-cotta tile roof above colorful ceramic
tile fascias and eaves. Designs on these tiles depicted snakes, flowers and
other symbolic features. Some were also painted in gold leaf. The expanse
of the whole complex covered about 100 acres. In front of the most prominent
building were huge seated gold painted lions. Another entrance was flanked
by gold painted low urns. Probably to burn torches during night celebrations.
We weren't allowed to view the whole interior. But mention should be made
of a gold painted throne about 5 steps above the floor of a huge ceremonial
hall. Steps leading up to the throne platform were flanked by ornate red and
gold balustrades. Mid-way were placed cloisonné urns with handles for lifting.
The overall appearance was a lively much decorated stage-like structure with
much red and gold.

On our return to our hotel, we enjoyed a delightful Chinese dinner one of
many to follow during this trip and fell into bed exhausted from our flight
and visit to the Forbidden City.. . The next morning we woke early to board
a bus for the airport and our flight to Kunming where we were to spend four
days of sight seeing and attending lectures. At six o'clock we were aboard
the bus with our box breakfasts. Leaving this city was not necessarily a disappointment
as it was lacking in beauty and showed much evidence of poverty in spite of
the construction in progress of hotels and office buildings. The scene resembled
a movie set depicting the contrast of tiny clay brick houses with red tile
roofs turned up at the edges Chinese style and high block buildings of no
particular style but looking very western. As we were boarding the bus, beggars
were waiting for any handouts. It was irresistible to pass by without sharing
some our breakfasts. Here was where we saw for the first time bicycles being
used in trade and commerce. The streets were busy with farmers on bicycles
pulling wagons loaded with produce, whole slaughtered pigs, and baked goods.
All heading for the market. Some were so difficult to pull that a helper also
on a bicycle would ride beside the load and push.

Kunming is in the Yunnan Province south and west of Beijing. After 3 hours
flying time we arrived at the Green Lake Hotel, a 3 star one, by the way.
Our luggage finally caught with us here. After a nice lunch, we boarded a
bus again for a short ride to the Yunnan University for our first lecture.
This one was about some of the 55 minorities or ethnic people of China their
customs and costumes. It was the first of fascinating lectures given by the
faculty at the University. When we arrived at the campus, we were struck by
the similarity of students there as we see on U.S. campuses. A group was shooting
baskets another playing soccer and the ubiquitous bicycles were everywhere.
It is a college that attracts students from all over the world. We noticed
western Europeans, Americans, and Nordics. The second day of our lecture at
the University was about the religions of China, a very complex subject, the
sects with various ethnic disciplines is not a simple concept The discussions
covered Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism, Christianity in different forms, Islam
and folk religions. Some of these were not religions but more of a philosophy
for life. The lectures helped us to understand the social and political mores
of that part of the world. On our way back to our hotel we took a trip up
into the Western Hills.The ride up the steep hills was a hair raising experience
as our cowboy driver negotiated hair-pin turns expertly but without regard
for the oncoming traffic. We were able to enjoy, when we weren't holding our
breath, the area with its bamboo interspersed with long needle evergreens.
Kunming, as in Beijing, is building everywhere. Kunming, however, is a much
prettier city with its parks and green spaces and its beautiful women for
which the city is known. Because it was May 1st, a Communist holiday, the
place was quite crowded with families on an outing taking the trail up the
mountain and stopping to buy souvenirs or offering prayers at the many shrines
along the path. Each shrine, carved into the hillside, had a statue of a god,
colorful paintings on the cave-like walls and incense . At the top of the
mountain one could view Kunming on the wide Jinsha River and circles of fishing
nets floating on the water. On our way back from the mountain, we noticed
at a building site a man whose job it was to straighten the steel rods used
for support when pouring concrete. The use of materials from other dismantled
buildings is very evident here. This is not for environmental reasons but
due to lack of new materials. In the evening we were entertained at the hotel
at a welcoming dinner with much food, dancers and music - all Chinese. At
this point of our trip we are beginning to realize the strangeness and vastness
of Asian culture. The music seems to wander and rather than a pleasant soothing
or melodious experience, it grates and the instruments screech. The dancers
beautiful in gorgeous white gowns stand and undulate their bodies, wave their
arms and turn gracefully to the music as we eat our rice, steamed vegetables,
fish-head soup and watermelon. If it weren't for our English speaking companions
our isolation from the Western world would be complete.

Another course we took at the Yunnan University was "Women in China" . It
was at this lecture that we discussed the one child policy in China. In rural
areas, the families can have two or three children depending on the farmer's
need to work his land. In the cities, the one child policy is mandatory. However,
they are the populace that is usually more educated. In rural areas there
is much illiteracy. Women in cities have become more independent and educated.
The concern among those that are educated is that over the years the uneducated
will out number the educated, not desirable for a country struggling to catch
up with the 21st century. We did question our professor who told us she had
one nine year old daughter. She was careful to not reveal her feelings about
the one child policy. It was a strange sensation to realize that freedom of
speech was not enjoyed here in this University of highly educated faculty,
some with sophisticated travel experience world-wide.

This is a day of sightseeing in Kumning. The first stop was the "Stone Forest"
which, was once the bottom of the ocean and as it receded tall perpendicular
limestone columns, narrow passageways and caves were revealed. It is a popular
tourist attraction with the usual collection of vendors and photographers.
Following lunch we then proceeded to the Sani Village an old village where
the inhabitants are living in the primitive life style of hundreds of years
ago. The houses are built of clay brick and straw and only large enough to
accommodate sleeping, cooking and eating. We had an opportunity to go inside
of one woman's house. She looked as though she could be at least 90 years
old but we found she was about 78. As we entered and stooped to go through
her front door we were greeted with the odor of urine, a dirt floor and a
ladder- like structure to reach the second floor. In a corner was a large
wok built into a brick stove. Under the crude stairs were a couple of jugs
of alcohol, vegetables on the floor, but a color TV set in the living room.
It didn't take long to look at the two rooms while other members of her family
sat on their haunches and watched. Upstairs was bare of furniture but there
was a small pile of grain and two black kittens in a shallow sifting basket,the
mother was on a leash nearby. The rafters of the ceiling below supported this
floor which was of poured concrete spread with straw to hold the winter grain
and supplies. The focus of this village was a pond that looked stagnant and
was overgrown with weeds which peasants were chopping away to make room for
fishing.

In preparation for our trip to Dally tomorrow, we learned about the Bay
people who live there and are considered the most prosperous of the minorities.
In the afternoon we were treated to a demonstration of the instruments and
music of China at the Young Arts College. The professor quoted an obvious
truth,"Chinese instruments are as many as stars in the sky " Here again the
music was wandering and not very pleasant to the Western ear. Curiosity overcame
that deficiency as strange instruments were demonstrated. Many looking like
banjos, flutes and a harp that was played on the lap like a piano keyboard.

It was in Chunking that we saw barbers shaving and cutting the hair of their
customers on the sidewalk and peed-cabs that are bicycles pulling small carriages,
around the city.

This is going to be a long day, 12 hours, on a bus traveling on the Burma
Road to Dally which is west of Chunking still in the Young Province. This
is exciting in that we are viewing the rural areas and villages and their
inhabitants along the way. It is a very mountainous area with spectacular
views of valleys and mountain peaks. The road is under construction to improve
the ancient highway. We pass many trucks headed south out of Burma with loads
of teak. We also saw frequent lines of military vehicles headed south. (On
our return to the U.S. we read of a suspicion by the West that troops were
being moved along the Burma Road for some unknown reason.) The living along
this road is commune style with each family working a plot of land terraced
on the hillside. Their houses were built similar to the adobe with red clay
. Each family must give a certain amount of the crops each year to the government
and can use the remainder any way they choose. Water buffalo are used by the
more prosperous for plowing and harvesting. Those that have to carry crops
in baskets do so by placing a strap across the forehead and hanging the basket
on their back They are innovative people, to thrash their grain, it is thrown
on the road so trucks and other vehicles will run over it . After the vehicle
passes they sweep it up and put it in baskets. This method for thrashing is
against the law because of fire and back-up of traffic.

Some of the construction workers'families live in tents or leantos. At the
constructions sites along our route,we saw crews of men and women without
goggles or hard hats splitting huge rocks to place on top of a tunnel. The
people crawling over the arched tunnel roof to place rocks were reminiscent
of pictures of ancient Egypt and building of the pyramids with thousands of
people hauling great stones up the pyramids.

The city of Dali, population 12,000,still has its North and South entrance
gates in the old city wall. It is an area known for its marble, the large
lake, Erhai, and the view of the foothills of the Himalayas. Jean took a walk
around the city early one morning where she saw senior citizens doing tai
chi in a park, another women was walking backwards and some doing a fast walk.
Little children were walking to school with backpacks and stopping to get
their breakfast from street vendors. Such things as boiled eggs, stuffed cabbage
leaves and rice were being cooked there on the sidewalk. People were hauling
their wares to market by bicycle and it was here where we saw motors as we
have on riding mowers placed in crudely built cabs to haul market wares.The
buildings in this old city are built of stone rubble with tile roofs.

We took a ferry boat trip on the lake to a fishing village on an island
where fishing families live in stone houses on narrow passage ways. Women
were washing clothes on rocks at the edge of the lake beside the fishing boats.
These fishing boats are a large double ender with a canvas shelter in the
center. They are powered by a small motor in the stern. On our way out to
the island, fisherman demonstrated how they use cormorants to catch fish and
haul them into the boat to remove the fish from the birds throat. The throat
is closed by a tight cord to prevent the bird from swallowing its catch.

We had an opportunity to visit a family in a government run commune outside
of Dali. The houses in this commune were all of brick and tile roofs without
any deviation, only in size. The family we were visiting were a prosperous
one. They had a main house, decorated with colorful tile, cook house, storage
house and a bath house built around a garden and enclosed by a wall. The family,
a couple with a baby, a brother and sister and an older person, talked with
us and were generous with their time showing us around. The income was from
farming but we were aware of their obvious prominence in the commune. It seems
not everything is equal in a communist society

On our way back to the city center we stopped to visit the three pagodas
of Dali. They were tall towers with sixteen or more stacked stations for worship
identified by tiered roof edges . None of them looked like they were used
for places for worship. No one seemed to know why. However, it is well known
that the Chinese government discourages any religion. As in most places of
interest we found rows of booths selling souvenirs. Bargaining, we discovered,
is a requirement.

While we were in this area,we made a visit to an herbal doctor, Dr. Ho,
who is very proud of his world-wide recognition. He had copies of papers,
magazines and articles including the New Yorker magazine and the New York
Times, on a table about his work in healing with herbs. Some of us lined up
for an interview with him and recommendation for healing. His diagnostic talent
was often quite accurate. His herbal teas were delicious but as to healing,
who knows.

After exploring the Dali area, we were given some instruction about the
Naxi people, an ethnic people in Lijiang. This minority is one that is matriarchal,
even though the women work the fields all day. Buddishm is their religious
belief as is with most of the minorities. The Naxis were nomads and found
an attractive plateau on Jade Dragon Mountain, elevation 18,000,nearLijiang
. They decided to stay. As we neared Lijiang, we noticed the mountain peaks
were covered in snow. Buildings in the old town area of Lijiang date back
at least 600 years and the streets are cobbled stone. The Jade River runs
through the old town where shops line the path along the river. Every now
and then a small wooden bridge crosses over the narrow waterway for people
to reach the shops on the other side. Lots of dust and construction again
in this city. A water spraying truck moved through the streets playing Christmas
Carols, a unique way in non-christian country to alert pedestrians and cyclists.
We went up the mountain to visit an old monastery with one 82 year old Lama
in residence. He was sent to this monastery by his parents when he was two
years old and stayed until he was 42 years old. Later in the evening we were
entertained by some musicians who played Naxi-Daoist music. The conductor
is 89 years old, 2 musicians were 87 another was 84. The Naxis are realizing
that their ancient culture is being lost as newer music,art and the sciences
are introduced to the students in school.

Now we are heading back to our hotel to pack for our flight to Kunming.
This accommodation was the least attractive so far. It was here that we were
served a strange coffee and slices of white bread for breakfast. Our rooms
were not very clean and one stairway was blocked due a repair project. The
food for our meals was transported by a hand pulled cart from a restaurant
to our dining room. Dirty linen and dishes were transported back in the same
fashion for washing. It was strange to look out our window and see large kettles
of rice traveling down the parking lot to a dining room.

We flew back to Kunming to then take a plane to Chengdu north of Kunming
for a day of orientation before flying into Lhasa, the capital of Tibet. This
was necessary because of the altitude in Tibet and dry air.Chengdu is the
largest city in China and boasts a large statue of Mao on the main thoroughfare.
Again lots of construction resulting in lots of dust.

We take our flight for Lhasa after an overnight in Chengdu. The mountains
surrounding Lhasa are surprisingly bare and brown the hot dry air and bright
sun makes us feel like being in a desert.On our long bus ride into the city
and our hotel we saw a huge painting on the side of a mountain of a Buddha
and on the mountain ridge we could see colorful prayer flags. When we arrived
at our hotel, The Holiday Inn, we were greeted by a typical Tibetan welcoming
ceremony. People dressed in native costume, the women in bright colored brocade
robes and headdresses of the same material fashioned like a helmet with four
fur flaps folded back toward head. About a half-dozen yaks skins were being
animated by two men with papier-mache yak heads each dancing to the ceremonial
music. We were asked to bow our heads so that a white ceremonial scarf could
be draped around our necks.

Lhasa is on a plateau of 12,000 feet and has a population of 1,000,000,
one third are Chinese. We rode through the city on our way to Tibet University.
This University was established in 1951 and the buildings were built in 1985.
It has 1300 students and 600 teachers.As we entered the campus and passed
student and faculty dormitories, we noticed each entrance had a kettle of
hot water heating by the sun shining on a large metal shield

We were introduced to the president and other faculty members and began
with an introduction to Tibetan life. By the time we attended our second lecture
the next day we knew these people were quite unsophisticated regarding teaching
and lecturing. Because we were the second foreign group to visit the campus,
we were asked to advise them on their methods. This we willing obliged and
suggested using easels with large pads to demonstrate the discussion. We also
suggested the use of slides and projectors. Tibetans are used to passing stories
and other learning information from generation to generation, thus the awkward
and confusing lectures. The lecture room was painted in bright colors and
symbolic decoration with tables in front couches so that there is room for
the ubiquitous tea pot and cups. Servants strolled among us offering more
tea during the lecture.In the library instead of books, the material was on
separate sheets packaged with paper and tied with strings. So that on the
shelves were many wrapped packages of the same size stacked in piles of 2
or 3. The older documents were in cases with glass doors. New ones were not
packaged but had hard covers but with separate pages still tied together.
Now we were treated at our meals with more of a Tibetan touch which included
yak butter, yak meat and more grain dishes. At many of the dinners a traditional
music and dance group entertained us. As we go into the markets and bazaars
the Tibetans are in native costumes, young monks with shaven heads and many
of the ordinary citizens carrying their prayer wheels. The native costumes
are the mid-calf height leather (yak skin) boots with had sewn soft soles,
fur lined hats and leather capes . These people were from the rural areas
. The city dwellers were inclined toward the western style of dress.

One day in Lhasa we visited the Jokhang Temple which is the focus for a
square filled with booths of everything imaginable to buy, produce, clothing,
souvenirs, toothbrushes, incense, etc. In the square are people again walking
with their prayer wheels, young monks sitting on the curbstone and families
doing their marketing. Inside this temple monks were sitting crossed legged
on the floor in their yellow robes reciting their prayers or litany. Two monks
were at the foot of a statue of a Buddha with long horns stretching at least
10 feet in front of them to be sounded at the appropriate moment. Up on the
roof of this temple were two huge gold painted cone-shaped symbols on an open
plaza from which one enjoyed a fine view of the busy square. Throughout the
temple were the usual stations where prayers were offered and incense burned
as an offering to the Buddha. The temple was a classic Asian structure with
bright colors and flags and much gold statuary topped by gold painted roofs
with finials at the edges and centers.

In the evening, we returned to the University to watch an opera by Tibetan
musicians and dancers. It was entertaining and easy to follow because an interpreter
explained the story. The music was somewhat uneven but the Tibetans were proud
of their talent. The room where the performance was held was in need of paint
and windows were broken.Chairs were the folding kind and not too steady. Another
reminder of the economic and cultural struggle of these ancient people ripped
from their traditions by a harsh conqueror, the communist Chinese.

Other places of interest we visited was a government operated school for
boarding students from the kindergarten to the last grade in high school.
We visited some of classrooms in low concrete block buildings with bars on
the windows. Each classroom had its display of Chairman Mao and other communist
leaders. The children took quite an interest in us and were happy and friendly.
The kitchen for the school was dark and small with piles of yak dung blocks
for fuel and large pots built into ceramic tile stoves. Cleanliness is not
a priority in this school. Even though, it was a show-case school but not
representative of a school for the majority of the children in the area. Because
we witnessed so much poverty and begging in the markets and streets, we were
beginning to spectulate about what we weren't allowed to visit.

We were taken to a traditional medical hospital in Lasha.As we walked up
the stairs to a room where we would hear about the teaching facility there,
we noticed dirt on the floors and dingy walls, even excrement in the corner
of a landing. The speaker demonstrated the methods of teaching medicine to
potential doctors. Colorful charts with brocade shades that were lifted to
reveal diagrams about nervous systems, another about bones, another about
foods and what they do in the body. A shrine to a Buddist monk was in a corner
of the room. Their methods of cures included, blood letting, herbs, massage,
and surgery. The building was built in 1916. At the end of this visit we decided
we dare not get sick while in Lhasa. However, when I (Jean) had an infection
in the sinuses as many of us did due to the dry dust, I went to the medical
doctor in the hotel and he gave me 2 medicines to be taken at certain times.I
was cured by the next morning and it only cost $11.00 (American). He couldn't
speak English and I couldn't speak Chinese so this diagnostic evaluation was
done on paper with drawings.

The week we were in Lhasa was also a highly celebrated week in the Buddhist
religion. Tibetans regard this as an important holiday that should be celebrated
at least once in a lifetime. The traditional way to celebrate is to prostrate
oneself and walk 3 steps repeating this until reaching the statue in the temple
to pray. This was going on in heavy traffic throughout Lhasa. On the outskirts
were tents and temporary shelters for those that had traveled great distances
to observe this holiday. Some people had saved over the years so that they
could pay homage to the Buddha in Lhasa.

This particular week also was one for a meeting by the government to be
held a block away from our hotel. When we hired a cab to return from the market,
the cab driver was not allowed to pass the building where the meeting was
being held. Soldiers were evident with guns guarding the whole block. The
answer to our question as what was going on, the answer was, "Its some kind
of meeting." All claimed not to know just what kind. Punishment is harsh in
Tibet if one is suspected of discussing political issues with foreigners or
is guilty of having a picture of the Dally Lama. Its not difficult to understand
why information is not readily supplied.

We wound up our stay in Lhasa with a visit to the Potala Palace regally
situated on a hilltop overlooking the city. The view of the palace from the
city, one sees its brown center surrounded by gleaming stuccoed wings and
stairways or ramps criss-crossing the hillside to reach the palace. We were
not allowed to take pictures inside but the crudeness of the building was
striking. The Dali Lama had a small bedroom draped with brocades and a small
bed . There are 999 rooms in the palace many of them were for study, worship
and ceremonies. The summer palace, in Norbulingka Park, is very open and airy
and smaller with the usual collection of reception rooms, prayer rooms, and
statues of all the previous Dali Lamas, and Buddhas. The current Dali Lama
built this palace in 1954-56 especially for his mother to live in. The carpenter
gothic architecture brightly painted in red, yellow, orange and blue give
this Victorian style an Asian look. There is a temple that was built in the
7th century in the park for the previous Dali Lamas to live in. The whole
complex is now a museum.Bright brocades and tapestries are throughout the
buildings.

To end our tour of this mysterious, enigmatic and enchanting land we flew
back to Beijing to see the Great Wall and Tian'anmen Square and enjoy a Peking
duck dinner.

The Great Wall wanders over the lush green mountain-sides and is another
popular tourist attraction. The engineering and building of this crenallated
wide stone wall is a phenomenon, especially knowing it was built during the
7th century b.c. and is over 4,000 miles long. Low square stone towers were
built periodically along the wall to watch for invaders. As we looked across
the miles of mountainous country, we could see tourists walking the wall as
it meandered through valleys and climbed up to peaks and ridges.

Our visit to Tian'anmen Square impressed us with its huge plaza surrounded
by communist buildings and flags. It once was part of the walled city of Peking
. The Chinese communists disliked walls and tore this one down but left the
North and South gates. At one side of the square was a building dedicated
as a memorial to Mao another building was the people's court. It was appropriate
to have the famous demonstration we all heard about in 1989 in this square.

Our final night was a celebration with a Peking duck dinner and strong cordials.
We had visited other places, i.e., a carpet shop in Lhasa, a cloissone factory
in Beijing but space doesn't allow the inclusion of every adventure. However,
this experience has brought home to us how fortunate we are to live in the
United States.

Jean and Joe Ehman live in Shepherdstown,WV.
Jean wrote while Joe did the recall and research.
Neither aspire to filling the vacancy by Michner's death.